Potential of endophytic fungi of Aechmea multiflora as growth promoters of the host plant. In: Agrotrópica v. 34 n. 2 p. 131-138, 2022.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess endophytic fungi isolated from Aechmea multiflora for their capacity of promoting growth of host plantlets. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse under a completely randomized experimental design with 11 treatments plus control and 12 repetitions. The treatments consisted of: T1: Aspergillus 1; T2: Aspergillus 3; T3: Chaetomium 1; T4: Chaetomium 2; T5: Lasiodiplodia; T6: Mycelia sterilia; T7: Polyschema; T8: Trichoderma 12; T9: Trichoderma 2; T10: Trichoderma 4; T11: Trichoderma 5; T12: Control (distilled water). Fifteen agronomic parameters were assessed and were statistically analyzed, with the means of the treatments clustered by Scott-Knott test (5%). The endophytic fungi inoculated impacted plant and stem length, stem diameter, fresh mass of the leaf, stem, root, and total fresh mass, and dry mass of the stem and root in relation to control. They did not influence, however, the yield of variables such as number of leaves, basal and median D leaf width, root length, leaf dry mass, and total dry mass. The strains “Aspergillus 1”, “Aspergillus 3,” “Mycelia sterilia,” “Chaetomium 1,” and “Chaetomium 2” positively contributed to nearly all parameters analyzed that were statistically significant.